Dental regulator.



H. A. PULLEN.

DENTAL REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.18, 1909.

1,023,273. Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

.. nm 3 pl HERBERT A. PULLEN, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

DENTAL REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 18, 1909.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912'.

Serial No. 523,205.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT A. PULLEN, of Bufialo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dental.Regulators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the referencenumerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to dentistry and it has for its object to provide an improved device of simple construct-ion in the nature of a regulator for use in bringing the human teeth in proper alinement within the normal arch of the jaw, as for instance in expanding a contracted jaw and straightening crooked teeth therein to restore the regularity and evenness of their appearance. The invention has in view the accomplishment of this purpose through the principle of relatively slight but constantly urging pressure and the improvements are directed in part to simplifying the work of the operator by providing arrangements through which the adjustment of the device to meet particular conditions requiring correction is facilitated.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a conventional upper jaw and the imperfectly arranged teeth thereof, showing a regulator constructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of my invention in operative position thereon; Fig. 2 is an elevation thereof showing the teeth in their proper positions after correction; Fig. 3 is a plan view, slight-1y enlarged, of the regulator alone, with the intermediate coupling sleeve, for expanding the arch of the teeth in the region of the incisors, cuspids and bicuspids, removed; Fig. 4 is a cross section through the arching member taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a rear view of the anchor tooth and its attachment, and Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the regulator in an inoperative position illustrating, by comparison, one of the advantages offered by the present improvements.

Similar reference numerals throughout the figures illustrate the same parts.

It will not be attempted herein to discuss the application of this device for all the malformations of the mouth and teeth with which dentists are at diflerent times confronted for correction nor all the malformations for the correction of which a device constructed in accordance with the present invention is adapted for use. On the other hand the present description and illustration of an exemplary embodiment of the invention will be confined largely to a particular instance of its useful application by a practical case of a certain class, and by such disclosure, a person skilled in the art to which the invention appertainswill recognize the scope of the improvements and will be enabled to utilize the advantages offered thereby in meeting the requirements of other cases.

Perhaps the most common fault to be found in the eruption of the teeth is the crowding of one or more of them, due to contraction of the jaws through lack of sufficient growth to aflord room for proper toothalinement. This can be remedied, however, by changing the curvature of the arch a trifle in some instances and by changing the width and length of the arch of the teeth in others.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, A repre sents generally the jaw; a the central incisors; b the lateral incisors; 0 the canines or cuspids; d the bicuspids, and e the molars,

the wisdom teeth being omitted. The regulator itself comprises an arching member indicated generally by B and what are termed anchor tooth attachments indicated generally by C. The anchor tooth attachments 0, in the present embodiment, are in the form of bands 1 arranged to encircle two of the teeth, preferably such as are already' 5 at the ends of the yoke arms connected with the anchor bands 1 in the manner hereinafter referred to and a coupling sleeve or whichever the latter may be.

member 6 which joins the forward or outer ends of the sections 4 in the region of the crown or loop of the arch. Both the outer and inner ends of each section that enters the sleeves 5and 6, respectively, are threaded I and provided with nuts 7 and 8 which can be made to react against the ends of the sleeves to increase the size or span of the arching member and the outer or forward portions are preferably flattened upon one side as at 9 and the interior of the sleeve is correspondingly formed as shown in Flg. 1

to prevent a relative turning movement of i shearing strain on the soldered joint that the parts.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, the unalined teeth therein shown are the lateral incisors b on both sides and they are shown to be crowded inwardly occupying a position in rear of the rest and of the normal arch, because the forward portion of the latter is contracted to a degree that does not permit of their accommodation. It is therefore necessary to widen or expand this portion of the arch at least by moving the teeth of such region outwardly to a curve of greater radius and hence greater circumferential extent. This is done by winding thereon individual ligatures 10 and attaching them to the arching member 13. The latter, considered as a whole, is preferably of resilient material or more particularly the sections 4 thereof so that their rearwardly extending attaching ends forming the arms of the yoke may be sprung inwardly in order to conform to the arch of the teeth and jaw and when thus confined, under tension,

will have a tendency, when desired, to widenthe arch in the region of the anchor teeth It will now be seen that tightening the rearward nuts 8 has the effect, in the first instance, of moving the ligated teeth forwardly or outwardly particularly the more central ones but it also has the effect of increasing the tension of the arching member with the result that the resilient parts 4 thereof are bowed outwardly or laterally communicating to the lateral teeth, little by little, a pressure that has the effect of widening and restoring the contracted jaw. It is to render this latter function more positive in its results, howi ever, and to provide a greater range of lateral or widening adjustment in theregion of the incisors at the front of the jaw that the sleeve 6 and the nuts 7 are provided. Tighteningthe former against the ends of the sleeve communicates a more direct and accurately directed influence on the forward teeth by operating to widen to a substantial degree the actual crown of the arching member which would otherwise be but negligibly affected.

'VVere the connections of the supporting sleeves 5 of the arching member with the anchor tooth bands 1 a rigid one, made as by a drop of solder at the point of tangency of the sleeve to the band, said point being indicated by numeral 11 in the drawings, there would be present a disadvantage illustrated in Fig. 6. In that figure the anchor tooth has a rearward inclination commonly found which, with the arching member in the plane of the anchor band 1 brings the forward or loop portion of the arching member below the cutting edges of the incisors and any attempt to merely raise it into position for the attachment of the ligatures with the construction mentioned would impart a would almost inevitably break it besides which said joint, because of its character, would offset the supporting sleeve too far from the buccal surfaces and do far more than necessary to irritate the patients cheeks. To fill the requirements of the case illustrated in Fig. 6 and similar ones, the sleeve would have to be removed and resoldered on the band in an angular position, difierent in each case. In the practice of my invention I provide a connection which permits a close arrangement of the sleeve and anchor band and at the same time permits an instant angular adjustment of the one on the other simply by a relative twisting movement of the parts, whether in or out of position in the patients mouth. Such connection in the present instance embodies a short connecting and supporting bar 12, preferably removed from the point of tangency 11 and soldered or otherwise secured to the periphery of the band and to the sleeve 5, to extend preferably at right angles from the latter. This bar is composed of a relatively softer material than either of the parts which it connects and is capable of distortion with out breakage so that it will submit to a torsional strain incident to twisting the parts or giving them a relatively rotary movement in a direction transverse to the general plane of the attaching band upon it as an axis and will also support them in the relation in which they are left. The bar 12 is also prefsubsequent manipulation. A single type of regulator may thus be applied without structural alteration to almost any case and then adjusted without removal from the mouth to meet the particular requirements of the case. It will also be noted that when the device is in operation, constructed substantially as shown, there will be a tensile rather than a shearing strain on the connecting bar or member 12, the arching member and the sleeve 5 thereof having a bearing exerting a bracing force in an inward direction at the point of tangency 11 with the'band, which strain can be better resisted, particularly in such a necessarily light structure. This action comes about by reason of the fact that the ligatures are pulling the outer ends of the sections 4 inwardly toward the medial line or at least have that effect. Should the strain be reversed because of a different mounting of the regulator from that shown or from other causes, the position of the connecting bar 12 could be reversed, that is, removed to the opposite side of the fulcrum or point of tangency 11.

As an example of the materials that may be used to bring about the above results, the arching member (or the sleeve 5, at least) and the anchor tooth band or attachment 1, may be made of low carat gold so as to be relatively stiff and the connecting bar or member 12 of a high carat or substantially pure gold, or pure platinum, the extreme malleability of which material is well known and which possess toughness not however, without sufficient inherent supporting power sufiicient for the herein described purposes. Other metals, such as German silver, can be used in the same ratio of strength.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a dental regulator, the combination with an anchor-tooth attachment and an arching member, of a connecting part for supporting the latter in different angular positions of adjustment on the former and adapted to permit changes of such adjustment by a relative rotary movement of the parts.

2. In a dental regulator, the combination with an anchor tooth attachment, of an arching member and a connecting member secured to each of the said parts respectively and composed of a material adapted to be distorted without breaking by a twisting action and arranged to support the arching member in different angular positions relatively to the anchor-tooth attachment when so torsionally adjusted.

3. In a dental regulator, the combination with a metal anchor-tooth attachment and a metal arching member, of a connecting member secured to each of said parts and comprising a 'bar having a uniform cross sectional area and composed of a relatively softer metal adapted to be distorted by a relative twisting movement of the parts about it as an axis and to thus support the arching member in different angular positions of adjustment on the anchor-tooth attachment.

4. In a dental regulator, the combination with a band adapted to be attached to the anchor-tooth, of an arching member arranged tangentially to the band and a connecting member attached to the latter and to the arching member at points removed from the point of tangency.

5. In a dental regulator, the combination with a band adapted to be attached to the anchor-tooth, and an arching member arranged tangentially to the band, of means attached to the parts at points removed from the point of tangency for supporting the arching member in different angular positions of adjustment on the band such means being adapted to permit changes of such adjustment by a relative twisting movement of the parts transversely tothe plane of the band.

6. In a dental regulator of the character described, the combination with an, arch band comprising a yoke having rearwardly extending arms or connections for anchor tooth attachment and divided at the looped port-ion 0r crown, said divided portions being adjustable toward and from each other to widen or narrow the arch band.

7 In a dental regulator of the character described, an arching member having the form of a yoke comprising in combination two rearwardly extending connections for anchor-tooth attachment forming thearms of the yoke, an intermediate coupling sleeve arranged at the outer or forward end of one arm in the crown or loop of the yoke adapted to receive the corresponding end of the other arm and means for forcing said last mentioned end out of the sleeve to widen the looped portion or crown of the yoke.

8. In a dental regulator of the character described, an arching member having the form of' a yoke comprising in combination two rearwardly extending connections for anchor-tooth attachment forming the arms of the yoke, the outer or forward ends thereof being threaded, an intermediate coupling sleeve arranged at the crown or loop of the yoke for receiving said ends and nuts on the latter adapted to react against the ends of the coupling sleeve to widen the loop of conforming to the cross section thereof, and nuts arranged to travel on the threads and adapted to react against the ends of the sleeve to widen the loop of the yoke.

10.-The combination of a dental anchor band with the sleeve carrying the arch band and a part connecting the two topermit angular movement of the sleeve upon the anchor band.

11. In a dental regulator, the combination with a metal anchor tooth band, of a metal sleeve arranged tangentially with reference thereto, and a connecting part for supporting' the latter in differentangular positions of adjustment on the band, said part comprising a bar of a softer metal than that which constitutes the other members and being adapted to be distorted without breakage by a relative bodily twisting movement of the sleeve and band transversely ofthe general plane of the latter.

12. In a dental regulator, the combination of an arch band a clamp band, an arch band tube, and a connecting device which permits angular movement located at one side of the center of the arch band tube.

HERBERT A. PULLEN.

Witnesses:

WILLIS M. SPAULDING, PHILOMINA CURIELLO.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

